Time line of A Thousand Splendid Suns
Click on enabled links to read a character's commentary on the event.
Part 1
Spring 1959 - Mariam born
Mariam's growing up years - Visitors included Jalil, Nan, Mullah Faizullah, Bibi 1973 - King Zahir Shah overthrown
1974 - Mariam runs away to Jalil, Nana commits suicide, Mariam forced to marry Rasheed
1975 - Mariam's first pregnancy and miscarriage
1978 - Mariam's seventh pregnancy and miscarriage
April 1978 - Laila born April 27, 1978 - Soviets invade Afghanistan Part 2
1981 - Tariq, age 5, loses his leg in an explosion 1983 - Soviet/Afghan fighting escalates
1983 - Laila's older brothers leave for war
1987 - Laila's brothers killed in action 1989- Soviets leave Kabul
April 1992 - Soviet Union crumbles
April 1992 - Laila turns fourteen; Laila and Tariq's first kiss June 1992 - Fighting in west Kabul between Pashtuns and Hazaras
June 1992 - Laila's friend Gita dies
August 1992 - Tariq and Laila's passionage goodbye
August 1992 - Laila's home bombed, her parents killed Part 3
Fall 1992 - Mariam and Rasheed nurse Laila back to health after the bombing
Fall 1992 -Laila told of Tariq's "death"
Fall 1992 - Laila becomes Rasheed's second wife Fall 1992 - Mariam and Laila's first fight
May 1993 - Laila's daughter Aziza born
Spring 1993 - Tariq arrested for running drugs and jailed Rasheed starts to beat Mariam;Laila intervenes Mariam and Laila become friends and drink tea together January 1994 - Warlord fighting escalates in Kabul.
Spring 1994 - Mariam andLaila attempt to run awayand are returned to Rasheed October 1994 - Taliban overthrows warlords in Kandahar.
September 1996 - Taliban establishes rules regarding beards, professions and women's subjugation
1997 - Taliban won't allow women into hospitals.
September 1997 - Laila's son Zalmai is born Fall 1999 - Drought and starvation
Summer 2000 - Mariam finds out her father died years before Rasheed's shoe shop burns down and his temper worsens regarding his wives. Laila's daughter Aziza is sent to the orphanage
Winter 2000 - Tariq released from prison and returns to Kabul to see Laila Spring 2001 - Rasheed beats Mariam and strangles Laila over Tariq's visit Mariam kills Rasheed
Mariam turns her self in, goes to jail to await sentencing
Mariam is executed Laila, Tariq, and the two children leave for Pakistan Part 4 September 2001 - Almed Sha Massoud is killed
September 11, 2001 - Al-Qaeda attacks U.S. with four planes
July 2002 - Taliban is driven out of every major city ino the mountains of Afghanistan Late 2002 - Enroute home, Laila visits Mariam's kolba Laila, Tariq and the two children return to Kabul.
April 2003 - Aziza turns 10, Zalmai is almost 6
Spring 2003 - Laila is pregnant
Click on enabled links to read a character's commentary on the event.
Part 1
Spring 1959 - Mariam born
Mariam's growing up years - Visitors included Jalil, Nan, Mullah Faizullah, Bibi
1973 - King Zahir Shah overthrown
1974 - Mariam runs away to Jalil, Nana commits suicide, Mariam forced to marry Rasheed
1975 - Mariam's first pregnancy and miscarriage
1978 - Mariam's seventh pregnancy and miscarriage
April 1978 - Laila born
April 27, 1978 - Soviets invade Afghanistan
Part 2
1981 - Tariq, age 5, loses his leg in an explosion
1983 - Soviet/Afghan fighting escalates
1983 - Laila's older brothers leave for war
1987 - Laila's brothers killed in action
1989- Soviets leave Kabul
April 1992 - Soviet Union crumbles
April 1992 - Laila turns fourteen; Laila and Tariq's first kiss
June 1992 - Fighting in west Kabul between Pashtuns and Hazaras
June 1992 - Laila's friend Gita dies
August 1992 - Tariq and Laila's passionage goodbye
August 1992 - Laila's home bombed, her parents killed
Part 3
Fall 1992 - Mariam and Rasheed nurse Laila back to health after the bombing
Fall 1992 -Laila told of Tariq's "death"
Fall 1992 - Laila becomes Rasheed's second wife
Fall 1992 - Mariam and Laila's first fight
May 1993 - Laila's daughter Aziza born
Spring 1993 - Tariq arrested for running drugs and jailed
Rasheed starts to beat Mariam; Laila intervenes
Mariam and Laila become friends and drink tea together
January 1994 - Warlord fighting escalates in Kabul.
Spring 1994 - Mariam and Laila attempt to run away and are returned to Rasheed
October 1994 - Taliban overthrows warlords in Kandahar.
September 1996 - Taliban establishes rules regarding beards, professions and women's subjugation
1997 - Taliban won't allow women into hospitals.
September 1997 - Laila's son Zalmai is born
Fall 1999 - Drought and starvation
Summer 2000 - Mariam finds out her father died years before
Rasheed's shoe shop burns down and his temper worsens regarding his wives.
Laila's daughter Aziza is sent to the orphanage
Winter 2000 - Tariq released from prison and returns to Kabul to see Laila
Spring 2001 - Rasheed beats Mariam and strangles Laila over Tariq's visit
Mariam kills Rasheed
Mariam turns her self in, goes to jail to await sentencing
Mariam is executed
Laila, Tariq, and the two children leave for Pakistan
Part 4
September 2001 - Almed Sha Massoud is killed
September 11, 2001 - Al-Qaeda attacks U.S. with four planes
July 2002 - Taliban is driven out of every major city ino the mountains of Afghanistan
Late 2002 - Enroute home, Laila visits Mariam's kolba
Laila, Tariq and the two children return to Kabul.
April 2003 - Aziza turns 10, Zalmai is almost 6
Spring 2003 - Laila is pregnant